Electronic communication can be streamlined using data elements to identify specific information portions in the electronic message. The elements are to be used as components of the electronic communication in that they are individually associated with the different categories of information included therein. Using a commonly accepted form of such elements, such as a form adopted by standard or agreed upon between business partners, eliminates some problems or inconsistencies that may otherwise occur. For example, the standard UN/CEFACT Core Components Technical Specification (CCTS) defines Core Components as context-independent data elements to be used as building blocks in such an endeavor. Similarly, the CCTS defines Business Information Entities as context-specific elements.
The CCTS also defines the concept of Dictionary Entry Names (DENs) to be used for Core Components, Business Information Entities, or the data types upon which either of these elements is based. The DENs are based on a natural language—primarily English—such that humans and machines can understand the meaning and logic thereof. The DENs are examples of the semantic information that specify the definition and intended use of data elements. The Universal Data Element Framework (UDEF) is an existing approach at organizing the Core Components, or their corresponding DENs. UDEF involves assigning numbers or letters at each level of the tree hierarchy.